Targeted Grazing

Prescribed Grazing Using Sheep -- ASI is the national organization representing the interests of more than 79,500 sheep producers located throughout the United States. From East to West, farm flocks to range operations, ASI works to represent the interests of all producers. From the domestic and international promotion of wool and pelts to its work on legislative, science and technology, animal health and resource management issues, ASI is a producer-powered federation of state organizations dedicated to the common goal of promoting the profitability and well-being of the U.S. sheep industry.

Employing livestock to manipulate vegetation is as old as grazing itself. Promoting grazing to manage vegetation as a paid service – typically called prescribed or targeted grazing – is a more recent phenomenon. As targeted grazing has gained a foothold in the land management arena, both research and experience have evolved to provide land managers and grazing-service providers with more definitive tools for managing vegetation. This handbook represents a compilation of the latest research on harnessing livestock to graze targeted vegetation in ways that improve the function and appearance of a wide variety of landscapes.

Karen Launchbaugh, Ph.D., a range scientist at the University of Idaho, spearheaded the project, with the assistance of John Walker, Ph.D., a range scientist at Texas A&M University, for the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) with additional financial support from the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center.

The handbook is organized both as an introduction to targeted grazing for the novice and as a useful reference for those already familiar with the topic. The chapters can be studied collectively or individually, depending on a reader’s needs, and they are written toward an audience that includes livestock producers, land managers, landowners, grazing enthusiasts or simply interested observers.

Chapters in the handbook include animal husbandry, plant response to grazing, monitoring plant landscapes, multi-species grazing and applications of prescribed grazing on grasses, weeds, forests, orchards and in agronomic situations. Other contents include prescriptions for specific plants, business plans, labor requirements and guidelines for developing and carrying out contracts.

ASI

ASI keeps sheep industry members updated on ASI activities and industry news by regularly distributing and updating various information pieces and sources.